All posts by Mike

Back to normal? We normally don’t do gravel on Thursdays!

Tues/Thurs 7:45am ride

Williams Ranch Road, a shortcut we used to skip the closed lower part of West Old LaHonda
After a “light” ride Sunday, then being off the bike completely for the next three days while in Reno for a trade show, I wasn’t sure how things were going to go this morning. And seeing two of the faster morning-ride guys at the start, George and JeffZ, didn’t exactly boost my confidence! But things worked out OK; younger Kevin went off the front with JeffZ, George and older Kevin (pilot) rode behind at a steady pace, and me, well, I hung for a while then watched George and Kevin (pilot) ride away, but slowly clawed my way back to them on the upper reaches of Kings.

It was nice to have some real horsepower on the ride this morning; George and Jeff pulled hard down 84 towards West Old LaHonda, where things ground to a bit of a halt when we discovered they were doing some serious road work, laying down gravel & oil and I’m sure making a mess of the road for quite some time. So we retraced our way back up the hill a bit and then, at Kevin’s (pilot, the old guy) suggestion, rode up Williams Ranch Road, which intersects West Old LaHonda right at the end of the section they were working on.

Things aren’t going to return to full-normal for a while yet; Sunday morning Kevin (not the pilot) and I have a gig in Foster City where we’ll be pumping up a lot of flat tires for a community bike ride, and afterward heading out for a pretty late ride, probably the usual, Pescadero/Tunitas. And in-between rides going a bit nuts because things are very busy at the shop and we’ve got extremely-thin staffing at the moment (if you know anybody who’d like to work in a great bike shop, let me know!). In fact, this Saturday we’ll have just a few of us in the shop on the busiest day of the week, as my brother Steve has a relative getting married and another employee injured her foot. By Sunday I’ll be needing a bike ride… desperately!

Wild past week; behind on EVERYTHING

Ride reports (not Tu/Th), Shop news

Sunday- Normally would be a good tough ride to the coast, but we had a special event, an introduction to Trek Travel right here on the Peninsula. More soon as I get photos up, but basically “The Loop” with a stop for lunch at the Alpine Beer Garden which, by the way, I learned is where the internet started. About 50 people showed up and I think everyone had a good time. Kevin and I policed things on the road while Steve stayed at the start-finish area, talking with people who dropped by (at Edgewood & Canada Road, an intersection that sees a LOT of cyclists!). So, a grand total of maybe 27 miles at a very slow speed.

And then I was off to Reno Sunday night, arriving home late last night, attending the Interbike trade show that recently moved from Las Vegas to Reno. Reno is a MUCH friendlier place, to be sure, but the show saw quite a bit of shrinking from the move, as it’s not nearly as easy to get to (as Las Vegas) and the hotels are spread much further apart, so you can’t walk from your room to the show. More on the show later too!

–Mike–